One of the difficulties with treatment of water in the skimmer basket region of a pool or spa is that the water treatment device becomes clogged with debris. One prior art approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,032 where the canister that holds chlorine is maintained above or along side the skimmer basket. Another approach is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,779,913 and 6,019,893, which show a dispenser that is secured to the underside of a skimmer basket.
While not holding water purification materials, U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,350 discloses a pool skimmer basket that includes a central member that projects above the top of the skimmer basket in order to prevent the basket from becoming clogged and thus preventing flow there through. Thus, the placement of water purification devices in a skimmer basket is generally avoided because of clogging problems.
The present invention provides a water treatment system wherein a water treatment device can be effectively positioned in a number of different locations in the flow of water with debris, with the water treatment device maintaining the water inlet to the water treatment device in a condition, wherein water can continue to be directed through the water treatment system even though there is a continual presence of debris in the water flowing around the water purification device.
A further feature of the invention is that as the activity level in the body of water increases the rate of delivery of dispersant to the body of water can partially or wholly offset the increased bacterial load on the system as a result of the enhanced activity.